Graphics Cards Guide

3D Going Mainstream

3D Going Mainstream

For movie buffs, 2009 will probably be best remembered as the rise of 3D movies. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Up and the recently released Avatar are but some examples of movies released this year that were specially produced to be viewed in 3D.

If you've ever put on those funky red and blue 3D glasses and experienced a 3D movie, you'll know what we are going on about when we say 3D movies are often more immersive and exciting to watch. The added dimension heightens movie experience and more so when coupled with a decent sound system which makes you feel as if you were in the thick of the action. 3D literally brings a whole new meaning to the term "cinematic experience".

Now some of you may wonder why 3D movies are all the rage again when it isn't exactly a new phenomenon to movies. Unlike the headache inducing variants of 3D movies when the concept first came about, the complete digital production of movies these days coupled with more advanced projection systems greatly help bring about modern 3D movies with better quality and acceptance to the audience.

Fortunately for gamers, true 3D gaming (akin to the experience of 3D movies) is not an unattainable state of nirvana and all it takes is the right mix of hardware - a NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision kit, a 120Hz LCD screen, and any NVIDIA GeForce 8 or newer graphics card. Software-wise it is very simple as the GeForce 3D Vision kit will work with any game without the need of any additional game patches or upgrades. The effectiveness varies, but NVIDIA is constantly upgrading their drivers to ensure the best compatibility with all games.

We suggest reading our review of the GeForce 3D Vision kit to find out more, but suffice to say, it is really fuss-free to setup and on the right games, the results are nothing short of jaw-dropping.

To be sure, enabling 3D vision does mean that performance takes a hit. So today, we are taking a look at a handful of graphics card that will allow you to attain 3D gaming heaven, specifically cards using NVIDIA's most powerful single GPU based GeForce GTX 285 chip. Handpicking the best that ASUS, Galaxy, MSI, Palit and Zotac have to offer, we subject the cards to our usual rounds of rigorous testing to find out which will reign supreme. Do note though, the supply of these cards are dwindling as NVIDIA is updating their product line-up, but replacements won't be in anytime soon. So if you need something fast to support your true 3D gaming needs, the GTX 285 is your answer this Christmas season.